He Won't Leave You Like He Found You (2)

Text

Mark 5:14-17 “Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”; and they became frightened. Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. And they began to implore Him to leave their region.”

Many are looking for something to add meaning and value to their life

We look for it in money, job, education, friends and accomplishments, but still feel like something is lacking

They leave us disappointed and wondering if we were better off doing nothing, because now I tried something and it did not work.

Many are looking for identity and improvement in self and look for them in the things previously mentioned

The encouragement is to try Jesus

But, can Jesus really work?

Can He really impact my life?

Can He really deal with all that I have?

Can Jesus deal with all my mess?

Will I scare Jesus off when He sees the real me?

What we will find out is that Jesus is more than able, He is more than enough, more than capable - and He has a desire to act favourably toward you

While we are not encouraging you to have consumerist mindset, where you only consider coming to Jesus because of what Jesus can bless you with, we have to speak the truth and let you know Jesus can bless your life.

HE WON’T LEAVE YOU LIKE HE FOUND

If you put your full dependence in Jesus, He will change you!

This Passage shows that Jesus’ presence can really make a difference

It teaches us that if you let Jesus into your situation, He has the power to turn it around

His adequacies take care my insufficiencies

He’s strength for when you’re weak

He’s your provision for when you lack

He’s your help in your time of trouble

He is not willing to leave you as He found you!

Will you come as you are?

Will you make Jesus the most important thing in our life?

Jesus has just blown the minds of His disciples. He spoke to storm, and it listened

“Who is this man that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” Mk 4:41.

Now. . .

Mk 5:1 “They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes.” The Gerasenes was more than likely the region and Gadara, the local city.

Mk 5:2 “When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit [for a long time] met Him,”

Is there anyone that has been dealing with something for a while?

So long that you are beginning to think “it’s normal” or “I’ll never get over this” “this mountain will never move, or I’ll never get through it”

We declare tonight the devil is a liar and a deciever and this is exactly what he wants you to think, becasue this will lead you away from Christ and not to Him!

Do like this man, and run immediately to Jesus!

Mk 5:3 “and he had his dwelling among the tombs. [And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain;” ] Mk 5:4 “because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.”

This tells me that they tried. They tried to fix the problem - But they were unable

We have met some situations/people and exclaimed “I eh able” - But Jesus is able!

Psalm 46:1–4 “1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.

I will look to the hills

Ephesians 3:20 “20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,”

Whatever you put in the hands of Jesus, you putting it in hands that are able

His residence was in the tombs, left to dwell where dead things are

APPL. if you are in sin, you’re not able to deal with that by yourself.

If you are in sin you are dwelling in death

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Ephesians 2:1“1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

One of the things the devil wants you to believe is that you don’t need God for your situation: you can use your wit, skill and intellect, but you don’t need God.

That’s why you’re still stuck in that mess and it’s not working out, you keep trying to do it

Mk 5:5 “Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones.”

This tells me he was: Restless, Unsettled,

Luke adds, Lk 8:27 “And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs.” - He wasn’t normal

His life was amongst the dead. He lived in isolation. Instilled fear in those that came near him

He was the ultimate reject, BUT NOT FOR JESUS!

It does not matter how checkered your past is

Let me say this to the church, it does not matter how checkered their past is

Don’t forget you had a past too - “such were. . .some of you” “all have sinned”

Sometimes I think we want to fix persons up, make them look presentable, then bring them toJesus

When all God wants, is for you to bring them to Jesus

He won’t leave them, like he found them

Notice in spite of this man beiing the epitome of Social rejection,

Yet Jesus made time for him

You need to pay attention to how this man’s condition did not turn Jesus away

Jesus was not intimidated by the work that needed to be done

BTW, have you notice how absent the disciples are in the text? Especially since verse one said, “they came to the other side”

Jesus was not reconsidering His role as a servant of man, Mark 10:45 “45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.””

Mk 5:6 “Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him;”

Did you notice where he was?

Do you know where you are? Right Now!!!

APPL. if you are away from God you need to close the distance, learn to come down at Jesus’ feet

Can we make an application to the church? Learn how to live at Jesus’ feet

The Distance

This is what problems can do

This is what sin can do

But we will see what JESUS can do

What we also notice here, are the presence of two powers

The interaction Jesus from a traditional lens, can be seen as an attempt by Legion to gain control over Jesus

Jesus was up against an army, but Jesus was chill. He had all the power.

APPL. Maybe you just need that reminder that Jesus still has ALL the power - Notice in Mk 5:13 “Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.”

We are up against spiritual powers, but they’re no match for our Lord

Mk 5:7 “and shouting with a loud voice, he said, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!”” [I wonder if that’s what we do when we are confrotnted by Jesus]

For the demons Jesus is ruining the moment. Taking away the convenience.

For the man, He’s bringing salvation

By the Power of God, Jesus cured this man of demonic possession

He did not leave Him like He found Him

Aren’t you glad that Jesus didn’t leave you like He found you.

Mk 5:14-15 “Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”; and they became frightened.”

Mark 5:16–17 “16 Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. 17 And they began to implore Him to leave their region.”

The Tensions in the Text

Jesus and the demons - The demons want the man, they don’t want to let go, they want control, they want to rule - That’s exactly what sin wants to do!

Jesus and the man - The man wants salvation, He has been like this so long and wants change - Is this what you want to do?

Jesus and the crowd - The crowd wants their convenience and comfort - They ran and told the people about Jesus, and the pigs. The tension is already their, they must have been disturbed and frustrated that Jesus in the process of healing this man, destroyed their pigs

They saw salvation but they also saw, inconvenience and they begged Him to go

Do you want Jesus or the pigs? (more tomorrow night)

In this text, I see salvation

Sitting - Eph 2:6 “and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”

Clothed - Gal 3:27 “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

Right Mind - Eph 4:23 “and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,”

Jesus will not leave you like He found you

I see choices

The man was happy the people were not

The man wanted to stay with Jesus the people wanted Jesus to Go!

APPL. For some, when they assess a life with Christ around, it comes at too high a cost

Jesus paid a high cost to set us free and bring us into a right relationship with God.

Plan of salvation

Don’t try to pre-clean before Jesus cleans